Magazine loader



July 2, 1946. L. L. McPHETl-:Rs

MAGAZINE LOADER Filed July 26, 1944 Le :m ard L MEFhEt'ErE.

Patented July 2, 1.946

MAGAZINE LOADER Leonard L. McPheters, Springfield, Mass., as-

signor to the Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of War Application July 26, 1944, Serial No. 546,721

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Goverment for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a loader for charging the magazine of a rearm.

Firearms of automatic type generally are fed from magazines which are capable of holding a comparatively large number of cartridges. Such magazines are usually quite diiiicult to load by hand because of the stiff spring utilized therein to bias the follower up-wardly. Obviously to load a magazine by the insertion of each cartridge singly into such magazine is a laborious and timeconsuming operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a magazine loader to effect rapid and convenient loading of a rearm magazine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a light, compact, and inexpensive magazine loader that can b-e readily carried in a pocket of an individual.

The specic nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a top elevational view of the magazine loader shown in position to load cartridges into a rearm magazine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of Fig. 1 showing the position of the charging handle after charging a magazine.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View taken along the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

This invention in its preferred form comprises a substantially rectangular box having a cover hinged thereto. Contained within the box is a shelf upon which a row of cartridges to be loaded into the magazine is supported. A charge handle is slidably mounted on such shelf and is provided to force the cartridges along the shelf and into a magazine which is placed adjacent to an open end of the box member. A hinged arm outwardly extending therefrom is provided to support the magazine against the tubular member while charging such magazine.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown in assembled relation a magazine loader embodying this invention. A body I comprising a channel shaped member is provided to house the elements of the loader. A shelf 2 extending the length of body I is centrally mounted on the inside of such body as by rivets 3. Shelf 2 comprises a substantially U-shaped member having outwardly ilared sides Il as shown in Fig. 3. A cartridge seaterl or fol- A lower 5 is slidably mounted on the outwardly dared sides 4 of shelf 2.

secured to the top of base 6 as by'welding and is disposed at right angles thereto as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The base member 6 of seater 5 is provided v/ith inwardly bent ends 8 as shown in Fig. 3 which engage the under side of sides 4 of shelf 2 to slidably secure seater 5 to the shelf 2.

A cover 9 is provided to close the top open portion of the channel shaped body I. Cover-9 is pivotally secured to one side of body I by-two integral hinges I0. An integral spring latch II is provided on one edge of cover 9 to secure such cover in the closed position shown in Fig. 3. A longitudinal slot I2 is provided in the cover 9 to permit cartridge seater 5 to be moved longitudinally along the inside of body I with cover 9 closed-as will be later described. The right end of slot I 2 is enlarged somewhat as shown in Fig. 1 to permit cover 9 to be lowered over the projecting end of thumb piece 'I of cartridge seaterl 5. A magazine I3, one end I 4 of which is open to receive cartridges, is placed adjacent the left end of body I and is inserted into the open end of body member I as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A magazine supporting arm I5 is provided to hold magazine I 3 into engagement with the open end of body member I while charging such magazine. The arm I5 comprises essentially a flat strip of sheet metal, one end of which is provided with two oppositely disposed integral lugs I6 formed at right yangles to the arm I5 and so spaced as to engage the sides of body member I. The arm I5 is hinged to the left end of such body member by means of lugs It. Each lug I6 is pivoltally secured to the sides of body I by a suitable pin Il. The other end I8 of arm I5 is disposed at right angles to provide support for-the bottom of magazine I3 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. An integral projection I 9 may be provided on one side of arm I5 to facilitate extending arm I5 from the closed position.

To charge magazine I3, the magazine supporting arm I5 is extended as shown in Fig. 3 and magazine I3 is placed within 'the arm I5 with the openend I4 of such magazine adjacent the open end of body I. Cover 9 is then unlatched and raised whereupon a plurality of cartridges 20 are placed on the shelf 2 with the bases of such cartridges facing towards the operator as shown in Fig. 1. The cartridge seater 5 is of course moved to the extreme right position as shown in Figs.v 1 and 3 before placing cartridges 20 within the Seater 5 comprises a base 6 and a thumb piece l. Thumb piece 'lis' 3 body member I. Cover 9 is then closed and latched. Magazine I3 is then readily charged by forcing cartridge seater 5 to the left as shown in Fig. 3 whereupon cartridges 20 contained within body I are rapidly forced into magazine I3. The bias of the magazine follower spring (not shown) is easily overcome by the use of lthumb piece 'I of cartridge seater 5 because of the greater leverage afforded by such thumb piece.

The pivotal mounting of magazine supporting arm I5 permits such arm to be folded back against body member I to be substantially flush therewith when the loader is not in use.

Thus, it is readily apparent that a magazine loader is hereby provided which can be readily filled without difficulty and one which will rapid- 1y and easily charge a magazine which is otherwise diicult to load manually. It is also apparent that this magazine loader is light, collapsible and compact and, therefore, readily carried about in the pocket of an individual.

claim: loader for charging the magazine of a mprising in combination, a body conto receive and support a single layer of cartridges therein disposed with their axes parallel and transverse to the base of said channel-shaped body, a shelf extending within and substantially the length of said body, a seater member including albase and a thumb piece secured to the top of said base and disposed at approximately right angles thereto, said base being slidably secured to said shelf, a cover arranged to close the open side of said channel-shaped body and pivotally secured thereto, said cover being provided with a longitudinal slot for permitting said thumb piece to extend upwardly therethrough, and a magazine-supporting arm for holding a magazine adjacent one end of the body while charging the same, said arm consisting of a substantially flat strip of sheet metal pivotally secured to said body.

2. A loader for charging the magazine of a rearm comprising in combination, a body consisting of a channel-shaped member constructed to receive and support a single layer of cartridges therein disposed with their axes parallel and transverse to the base of said channel-shaped body, a shelf extending within and substantially the length of said body, said shelf comprising a substantially U-shaped member having outwardly ared sides, a seater member having a base and thumb piece, said thumb piece being secured to the top of said base and disposed at right angles thereto, said base being provided with inwardly bent ends which engage the under surfaces of said flared sides of the shelf so as to slidably secure said seater member to said shelf, a cover arranged to close said body and pivotally secured thereto, said cover being provided with a longitudinal slot for receiving said thumb piece and facilitating sliding movement of said seater member relative to the body when said cover is in closed position, and a magazine-supporting arm for holding a magazine adjacent one end of the body while charging the same, said arm consisting of a substantially lat strip of sheet metal having oppositely disposed spaced lugs engaging and pivotally secured to said body, said arm being constructed and arranged to lpivotally fold into a collapsed position substantially flush with said body.

3. A loader for charging the magazine of a rearm comprising, in combination, a body consisting of a channel-shaped member constructed to receive and support a layer of cartridges therein, a manually operable follower slidably mounted for longitudinal movement in said body and arranged to engagethe end cartridge of the layer of cartridges, whereby the cartridges may be successively discharged out of one end of said body by operation of said follower, an arm pivotally secured to said body, said arm being selectively positionable in a collapsed position substantially ,flush with said body or in an extended position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, and means on said arm for supporting a magazine with its open end adjacent the cartridge discharging end of said body when said arm is in its extended position.

LEONARD L. MCPHETERS. 

